The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-08-14
A HOME IN THE NORTH WOODS
HOW A NAN WITH MODERATE MEANS
N4Y HAYE A COUNTRY HOUSE
r,ev. or Cost-Trout, PartridEes. and Hutch
er'. Mrat-Empioyn,ent for Rainy Days
Month. Expense for n Big Family.

,,.,,. orCo.t-Trout, Partr,dres, and Butch
.,.,. Nr,t-Empioyn ,ert for Raiuy Days.
A Month. Expense for Big Family.
Noprpwoop. Horkimer county, Aug. 49,
uoy rich must man DO before he can afford
% own n summer homo In the country II
ore may Judge by the number OF New Workers
who own such homes. man must be naboo
bef,re he can afford such n luxury; but when
Tho facts about tho expense OF owning and
koeplrg M country homo arc known tho
spswor 10 the question Is that only modest
Income. as Now York incomes SO. is needed.
Cnn man with $500 or $4,000 n year do it'
"Just as easy as rolling of log" as people
sov hercabouts when they want to tell how
eas!ly something can bc done.
For n number Of years did what most New
York m,n in my circumstances have done. 1
had nm income OF a little over $4,000 year.
Duvinr the winter l laid by something for
rainy day and also something for sunny day.
sultry. hot. sunny dav. This last sum l
hogon to draw on just as soon as noticed
that the hot weather was making my boys
wilt. md sent them and thcir mother to the
country. and kept Thorn there as long as the
fund lasted To keep myself from utter Dolce
tion followed them when the weather became
too bad. and stayed as long as could afford.
which was seldom moro thnn four weeks
Although we boarded at farm houses and did
not nay big prices, it cost me something like
this every year: Board for myself and family
four weeks $50; board for family eight weeks
more ~ sl3, sl6i; railroad fare Tan average),
Sl3; new clothing and sundries which bought
especially for tho vacation. about slOo. or
total of about $500 think thnt any one ac-
uustomsd to take u like vacation will say that
INV expenses were moderate under the circum-
stances Every ono knows that IL II easy to
spenI much more than this while o vacation
OF that length for less sum would probably
BE- lacking in some OF the necessary elements
But do not mean to assert that I and my
family were really comfortable at that price.
w. had tho country air and the children had
but we slept in beds sometimes that were not
very comfortable, and In rooms that were diff
would have been glad to avoid, particularly
those who were really sick and had gone 70
tue country in ayain search ior health. We
lightfully cool and sweet to the taste. but the
we'll was dangerously near to the BARNARD.
Tae Old oaken bucket sometimesheld poison.
though the owner did not know 1t. having been
hardened to its use. but my children were
thrown into form Of summer complaint, No.,
often seen tho broad lawns and the shady
groves that surrounded tho country homes OF
the wealthy. and thought with the heartache
that no such luxury could ever be mine. No
man Oh my income could afford 1t. But the
more | saw of the, country homes and the
more learned to dislike the country board
Ing house. the more l wondered whether, af-
ter all. n man might not get n little nome in
tho countrYr-a cottage of four rooms. all my
that my. next neighbors barnyard could not
contalninate my well.,-would be an earthly
house where boarders were kept.
While thinking over this one day last winter,
as | walked through Fulton street. CHANGED
to look up and found myself in front OF q map
store. 1t was like an inspiration to me. went
in. and for % cents got pretty bad map Of the
geographical features Of the State in 1t: and for
the next few weeks my wife and had thor;
Shg qsd EdyVg ns region sda
whether in that, country We could not find q
country nome. There were plenty of little dots
on the nap. but beyond that there was NO In
formation on 1t or Its accompanying, census
table worth mep,ioInng 30 decided ia that
could DO done in the way OF a summer home
west o. the mountains: / was impelled to go
thai Il appeared to be less sought by. people of
wealth. and WAS. therefore. likely to be less
expor,iye place to live in: The event has
My lrst trip was made 10 Poland, the termi-
nus d n title narrow, Gunge road running up
Lett New York with the first breath OF spring, |
WIS so anxious to learn whether A, man could
REALLY and such country home as hoped ior.
Tine day on which l started WAS delightful.
The grass in the vacant lots was turning n
bright green, ROBINS and bluebirds sang in the
where swelling. But when got to Poland a
hoWling snow storm was raGin. and piline up
his.er drifts where previous storms mad ~.
deeb. Still i was not discouraged until
hffned that there was only one house IN the
fora gentleman to live in. while the nearest
hunting and fishing grounds and waters were
tsi miles away to the north That settled he
determined to try again furth her north.
lwaited one month and then went to Pros
pct on tie Utica and Black River Railroad. =!
that PrDSnpCt
s6pring-of place, because q good rad ran
kasgs hotel. and after supper told my mission.
SagG knew all about tho country. and was
tcottage for BY the mouth? Anywhere from
nSht have 70 pay @s much as q. went to
wanted to buy and not rent. The next day Bi
ConEdon. tho village livery man; took me up
my location. 1t was the Post ONCE nearest the
woods, where mail could be had every day,
and whore a, man could have easy access
every ordinary household necessity could be
had and there was no more OF village
shsn GSHRhtry cross r9dS with sE
non, sordwqol. There were ten houses within
beam three miles, away on the bank o. Little
Black, Creek. and stretched away unhroken
sa ie BY oSGers, roads for over OYER hundred
y the brooks and the creek were alive with trout,
and the mill pond. metaphorically speaking,
lairiy eroaked aloud because OF It's eSuberant
supply of big green bullfrogs. Then in
qaired for house; there was "a neat hut rot gh
cottage Of i've rooms. with good cell under
II, TO lot at $3.50 a month. I secured that at
once. thought had hotter rent IL while and
see how liked the location before purchased.
In Nay moved my family TO the new house.
,ln4aad OF buying the usual OUTFIT or summer
clothes l bought u supply OF cheap but sub,
ttanthii furniture. ] found would not need
TO buy any new clothing for use up here for
6oTe OK tho country women went to church
with ginghnm sunbonneto on. and the men
with two-shiliing straw hats. They were good,
Intelligent people, though, for all that. My
bedding scnt by freight from the city, and T
expect TO take IL back with me whom the season
Is over, but the furniture stays here the ycar
lround Next year | can afford to set enough
bedding so that l can keep supply here and
SaYo my. city hat undisturbed. Iy COM
piite outfit OF furniture cost $3.50. part
, Of it being good secondhand stuff which
' seOctcd OF AN auction house in Canal street.
> To gat my stuff to the Hudson River depot cost
me STA the freight to Prospect cost sl7.7 >, and
tho trans nortatOn thence 10 NprthwoOd 81 l
bati Slj.64 railroad fare from, New York hero,
ina being the cost II two fun fares and one
hall fare. Meantime, l had TO wait one week
q the hotel in Prospect for my goods to come.
and that cost me s2l. Although that Is not an
, n M n cd nj har,.after l am will